Saturday 30 April 2022

30/04/2022

Whimbrel passing The point

005.50-10.30 +13.45-18.30 with JS, RW, CT, JY et al
Brent Goose: 24E
Shelduck: 6E
Velvet Scoter: 4E
Common Scoter: 430E   6W
Red-breasted Merganser: 5E
Red-throated Diver: 20E 
Black-throated Diver: 2E
Great-crested Grebe: 3 on
Fulmar: 1E    4W
Manx Shearwater: 1E 
Gannet: 216E 
Cormorant: present n/c
Gannet:  298E
Kestrel: 1 in
Oystercatcher: 10E
Bar-tailed Godwit: 84E
Whimbrel: 71E
Kittiwake: 192E
Little Gull: 2E
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 9E   2W
Common Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Little Tern: 12E
Sandwich Tern: 127E
Common Tern: 1,424E
Commic Tern: 765E
Great Skua: 15E
Pomarine Skua: 4E
Arctic Skua: 22E 
Guillemot: 4E 
Auk sp: 131E
Kestrel: 1 in
Swallow: 128 in
Carrion Crow: 1 in
Harbour Porpoise: 6+
Grey Seal: 2
A distant out of focus Pomarine Skua 💩
Bar-tailed Godwits
1 of at least 4 Hobbys at Dengemarsh

Greenshank and Redshank
Greenshank and Spotted Redshank

Friday 29 April 2022

29/04/2022

Some of the 1,000s of Bar-tailed Godwits that have been passing the sea watch hide
I have been a little lax at posting this week, as I have been out in the field to dusk most days. Large numbers of Waders, Terns, Skuas, Gannets, Divers, Auks and Duck have been passing the sea watch hide this week, giving the watchers a superb spectacle.(I'm afraid my images do not do justice to that spectacle). 
Highlights as always this time of year are the Skuas, in particular the Pomarine Skuas with good numbers of Great and Arctic. A Red-necked Grebe was a first of the year, a Great Northern and several Black-throated Divers along with many Red-throated Divers have been seen. The large number of Bar-tailed Godwits have been a wonderful spectacle, especially the brick red summer plumaged adults.
Other highlights this week have been several Ring Ouzels, a Wood Warbler in the trapping area today found by Jacob and my first Swift of the year today.
Spring passerine migrants still appear to be in very low numbers, though a few more Swallows arrived today. Reports from the reserve are that there is very little new there, occasion Bittern sightings, Bearded Tits, Marsh Harriers, a couple of cold, hungry looking Hobbys, even Reed and Sedge Warblers seem to be very low numbers. Hopefully warmer weather next week will improve things.
100s of Whimbrel past this week
Bar-tailed Godwits
Party of 3 distant Pomarine Skuas
Party of 5 distant Pomarine Skuas
Party of 3 Arctic Skuas passing the bouy
Pod of 6 White-beaked Dolphins, though distant for the camera, they gave great scope views during the 30 minutes they took to pass. often leaping clear of the sea
Arctic Skuas
Typical Dungeness view of a Great Northern Diver
1,000s of Common, Arctic and Sandwich Terns have been passing, also small numbers of Little and Black Terns.

Black Tern
Resident Great-crested Grebes 
 

Monday 25 April 2022

25/04/2022

This mornings sea watch was a slow affair with most of the birds passing a great distance, 2 Pomarine Skuas were seen along with 12 Arctic Skuas, 3 Velvet Scoters, small numbers each of Common Scoter, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Terns and Gannets. However I hear that a decent passage of Terns is under way this evening.
Marsh Harrier at Dengemarsh
At Galloways and Dengemarsh Gully 2 Wheatears and 6 Swallows were the best I could find. At Dengemarsh my first Hobby of the year, Marsh Harriers,  a brief flyby Bittern, a Glossy Ibis, a few Redshank and Lapwings, calling Bearded Tits and c20 Corn Buntings of note.
Female Ring Ouzel briefly opposite Cooks Pool
Along the entrance track to the reserve a Ring Ouzel showed briefly, a few each of Sedge, Reed Warbler and Cetti's Warbler singing otherwise very quiet. From Dennis's 2 Greenshanks and 3 Ringed Plovers, good to see the water level on Burrowes finally starting to drop.
Greenshanks on Burrowes
Oystercatcher on ARC bench
 

Sunday 24 April 2022

24/04/2022


The 2nd Black Kite this spring we've seen while sea watching
 05.30-11.30 with JS, JC, DW PT et al
Shelduck: 2E
Teal: 25E
Common Scoter: 31E. 9W 
Red-breasted Merganser: 1E
Red-throated Diver: 6E 
Great-crested Grebe: 5 on
Fulmar: 5E 
Manx Shearwater: 1W
Gannet: 59E     22W
Cormorant: present n/c
Grey Heron: 2 in
Black Kite: 1 SE. Presumed same came back in 30minutes later well west of the hide
Oystercatcher: 23E
Grey Plover: 4E 
Bar-tailed Godwit: 634E
Whimbrel: 92E
Curlew: 1E
Wood Sandpiper: 1E (first one I've seen on a sea watch)
Kittiwake: 28E
Little Gull: 23E
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 2E 
Common Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Sandwich Tern: 125E
Common Tern: 101E
Arctic Tern: 23E 
Great Skua: 1E
Arctic Skua: 9E 
Guillemot: 16E
Auk sp: 14E 2W
Sand Martin: 3 in
Swallow: 6 in
Yellow Wagtail: 3 in
Black Redstart: 1 present
Jackdaw: 5 in
Carrion Crow: 1 in
Harbour Porpoise: 20+
Grey Seal: 1
Grey Herons coming in off the sea early morning

Saturday 23 April 2022

A superb days sea watching at Dungeness
Bar-tailed Godwits, Whimbrel, Grey Plover and a Knot
05.40-11.15 & 12.40-20.00 with JS, DW, RW, VW, JY, SO et al. Special thanks to Jacob for keeping the log.
Brent Goose: 3E
Shoveler: 12E
Teal: 2E
Pintail: 4E
Velvet Scoter: 1E
Common Scoter: 67E
Red-breasted Merganser: 1E
Red-throated Diver: 5E 
Great-crested Grebe: 6 on
Fulmar: 8E 
Gannet: 256E 
Cormorant: present n/c
Oystercatcher: 30E
Avocet: 6E
Grey Plover: 8E
Ringed Plover: 1E
Whimbrel: 72E
Bar-tailed Godwit: 2507E
Knot: 6E
Sanderling: 32E
Dunlin: 21E
Kittiwake: 21E
Little Gull: 77E
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull: 1E 
Common Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Little Tern: 7E
Sandwich Tern: 611E
Common Tern: 750E 
Black Tern: 1E
Great Skua: 7E
Arctic Skua: 224E
Guillemot: 8E
Razorbill: 1E
Auk sp:164E
Sand Martin: 2 in
Swallow: 20 in
Alba Wagtail: 2 in
Harbour Porpoise: 30+
Grey Seal: 1
Bar-tailed Godwits
Bar-tailed Godwits photobombing a Harbour Porpoise
 
                                                                         Whimbrel
Arctic Skua (dark phase)
Avocets
Great Skua with random white feathers
Oystercatchers
Arctic Skua (light phase)
Little Gulls, Arctic and Common Terns

Thursday 21 April 2022

21/04/2022

Bar-tailed Godwits in the morning glare

Bar-tailed Godwits in better light this afternoon
 The only news from the reserve was that at least 1 Glossy Ibis was still present.
Little Egret at Cooks Pool
Mediterranean Gulls over the Long Pits this week
Grass Snake at top of the Long Pits this week



Tuesday 19 April 2022

19/04/2022

One of the several Greenfinches that are visiting my garden at the moment

As expected with a cool NW breeze this mornings sea watch was very slow:
 06.00-08.00
Brent Goose: 11E
Common Scoter: 42E
Red-throated Diver: 3E 1W
Great-crested Grebe: 2 on
Gannet:67E 
Cormorant: present n/c
Oystercatcher: 3E
Whimbrel: 4E
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull:1E 
Common Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Sandwich Tern: 41E
Common Tern: 25E (single flock)
Auk sp:1E
Black Redstart: 1 present
Harbour Porpoise: 30+
Grey Seal: 1
A couple of hours around the Long Pits found a Pied Flycatcher that was immediately flushed accidentally by dog walkers, it was seen again briefly by PT but not again. Lesser and Common Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaff were all seen and heard, along with the now seemingly abundant Cetti's Warblers.
An early afternoon walk down Galloways was disappointing apart from a Stonechat apparently feeding young.
The first Greylag family at Springfield Bridge this afternoon
The lone Glossy Ibis on the hayfields has been showing ridiculously well, giving wonderful photographic opportunities, especially in the afternoons when the light is excellent, the other 4 paired up Ibis tend to stay on Boulderwall Fields or in the private fishing lakes.
On hayfield 3, 2 summer plumage Spotted Redshanks, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Ringed Plovers, Whimbrel, 2 Oystercatchers and at least 4 pairs of Lapwings nesting. From the surrounding Reed beds a Bittern booming and several Bearded Tits.
Little Ringed plover






Sunday 17 April 2022

17/04/2022

Superb Black Kite over the sea watch hide this morning
 05.45.00-13.00 & 14.00-16.30  with JS, WS, CP, SO, SM, NB, JB, DB, RW et al
Brent Goose: 287E
Shelduck: 1E
Garganey: 3E
Shoveler: 59E
Teal: 17E
Pintail: 6E
Velvet Scoter: 28E (single flock)
Common Scoter: 636E
Red-breasted Merganser: 12E
Red-throated Diver: 16E 1W
Black-throated Diver: 6E
Great-crested Grebe: 3 on
Fulmar: 29E 
Gannet: 333E 
Cormorant: present n/c
Black Kite: 1E
Oystercatcher: 12E
Whimbrel: 118E
Bar-tailed Godwit: 3E
Sanderling: 6E
Kittiwake: 71E
Little Gull: 11E
Black-headed Gull: present n/c
Mediterranean Gull:17E 
Common Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Herring Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: 5E
Little Tern: 5E
Sandwich Tern: 611E
Common Tern: 21E 
Arctic Tern: 1E
Guillemot: 473E
Auk sp:140E
Harbour Porpoise: 30+
Grey Seal: 1
Flock of Whimbrel passing
Brent Geese
                                                                                Shoveler
Whimbrel overhead
Black-throated Diver
Wood Sandpiper on Hay field 3 late afternoon
This mornings Black Kite




Hot reception from the Herring Gulls